Platforms
Windows PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes
- Online Interactions Not Rated by the ESRB
Rating Summary
This is a side-scrolling action-adventure game in which players assume the role of a man (Shank) on a quest for redemption in his hometown. Players use pistols, shotguns, explosives, and a variety of melee weapons (e.g., pipes, sledgehammers, machetes, chainsaws) to kill enemy soldiers and boss characters. Though depicted in a “cartoony” art style, many attacks trigger over-the-top acts of violence: slitting enemies' throats; impaling them on weapons; shoving live grenades into their mouths. Battles are highlighted by frantic screams, exaggerated splashes of bright red blood, and corpses that litter the ground. Cutscenes depict intense acts of violence: characters getting stabbed in the eye; dismembered or decapitated close-up; slashed open, causing intestines to spill out. Some female characters are dressed in revealing outfits; one close-up shot depicts characters' jiggling breasts. In one cutscene, a character mentions an army that has taken over the drug-smuggling practices of nearby cartels. The words “f**k” and “sh*t” can be heard in the dialogue.